Donald Trump, politically speaking, is handing Kamala Harris the keys to a shiny new electric vehicle — one that Harris and the Democrats might ride all the way to the White House.

“I will end the electric-vehicle mandate on day one, thereby saving the U.S. auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now,” Trump said near the start of his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. He brought up the subject again toward the end of the speech, nearly 90 minutes later: “By the way, I’m all for electric. They have their application. But if somebody wants to buy a gas-powered car, gasoline-powered car, or a hybrid, they’re going to be able to do it. And we’re going to make that change on day one.”

There is no such thing as an electric-vehicle mandate — only a set of aggressive investments from the Biden-Harris administration that includes buyer tax credits of up to $7,500 per vehicle, as well as $7.5 billion paid to states for a national network of charging stations and $1.7 billion in federal grants to help automakers update, change, or expand factories making electric vehicles.

Harris has been taking credit for that federal spending, often cutting the ribbon on plant expansions. As a candidate in 2019, she floated a plan for $10 trillion in federal investment to transition the U.S. economy to renewable energy by 2045. It’s doubtful she will revive that mega-plan, but her current support for EVs lets her ride a popular wave: Last year, Americans bought a record-high 1.2 million electric........

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